| coastal_waste_risk | Per_WasteKG | Total_WasteMT | SD(Total) | Mean Recycling(%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very_High | 33.67 | 2.51 | 2.45 | 9.85 |
| High | 89.67 | 1.69 | 7.44 | 5.50 |
| Medium | 163.46 | 2.94 | 7.24 | 19.78 |
| Low | 148.29 | 0.97 | 1.30 | 19.66 |
Dataset: Plastic Waste Around the World
Coverage: - This dataset includes data for 165 individual countries
Key Variables:
Total plastic waste generated (in metric tonnes)
Per capita plastic waste (in kilograms)
National recycling rate (in percentage)
Coastal plastic waste risk level
Source: The dataset is retrieved from a publicly available GitHub repository called Pranu580 that compiles plastic waste statistics from multiple global environmental datasets.
Figure Shown: Horizontal bar chart
Figure Shown: Horizontal bar chart
Based on the analysis methods above, we found that small tourist-heavy island nations, like Iceland and Malta, tend to have the highest plastic waste per person, and that countries generating more waste often have lower recycling rates.
To better summarize these findings, we created the Table 1 below.
| coastal_waste_risk | Per_WasteKG | Total_WasteMT | SD(Total) | Mean Recycling(%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very_High | 33.67 | 2.51 | 2.45 | 9.85 |
| High | 89.67 | 1.69 | 7.44 | 5.50 |
| Medium | 163.46 | 2.94 | 7.24 | 19.78 |
| Low | 148.29 | 0.97 | 1.30 | 19.66 |
Coastal plastic pollution is not just about per-person use, but also tourism, population density, and waste system quality.
Tourism impact: In island countries, high waste per person often comes from tourists, not poor systems. For example, in the Maldives, tourists make 5 times more waste than locals.Prepare for busy seasons; use eco-fees and make sure hotels sort waste properly.
Population density: Crowded places make a lot of total waste, even if each person only makes a little. Weak waste systems can’t handle it well.Spend money on better waste collection (like mobile bins), not just recycling.
Control variation: Waste rules are very different in Medium and High risk countries. Low risk countries usually have steady and efficient systems.Help High risk countries improve, and share good ideas from Low risk countries.